


Bloom

by tajador



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Fluff, Hand Holding & Cuddling is the most that happens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:30:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7309543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tajador/pseuds/tajador
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaidoh and his growing relationships with the members of Rikkai's tennis team over a year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. august 2008; a strange encounter

He doesn't know why he reacts so strongly then, his fists around this stranger's collar, his teeth grinding together, anger boiling in his chest the same way it did back when others would constantly be mocking him.

Except this time, it has nothing to do with him. He only knows Rikkai as rivals. He had never even _met_ Yukimura. Yet here he was, exchanging punches and shoves with strangers, tasting blood on his tongue and bruising his fists for a team he doesn't even belong to.

Finding himself in their staple yellow uniform a few minutes later only makes it weirder to think about, Yagyuu's shirt tight around his shoulders and smelling faintly of cologne.

His words come as both challenge and advice to Kaidoh. He's grateful for the chance to better himself they present, even if he doesn't understand why a member of the team his own will be facing so soon would offer him any sort of help.

Perhaps it was for the same reason as why he had gotten into a fight to defend Rikkai's honor.


	2. november 2008; sanada

Kaidoh likes people who don't talk a lot. He likes spending entire afternoons studying with Echizen in relative silence. He likes when Inui watches him train, only speaking up when he has concise advice to give him. He likes when his captain guides him by showing rather than telling, a simple water bottle left in his reach saying so much more than long-winded speeches from his teachers or parents.

And then there's Sanada. Sanada, who talks a lot, who talks very loud, who everyone listens to. Yet each of his words mean something, nothing he ever says covering lies or hiding a different meaning. Kaidoh quickly finds himself respecting that.

He also respects the way Sanada always wakes up as early as him, the rest of their group of Losers enjoying every single minute of rest they were allowed while Kaidoh and Sanada start running laps around the mountaintop before the sun even rises.

Kaidoh ignores him the first few mornings, too focused on training, and maybe also a tiny bit intimidated. Just a little. But Sanada always greets him politely, and the more Kaidoh watches Rikkai's vice-captain spend his days with Echizen, the friendlier he seems. Whether it's Echizen rubbing off on him or the fact that Kaidoh trusts his younger teammate's friendships, he can't be quite sure.

It takes until their second week of torture mountain confinement for Kaidoh to dare sit in the grass next to Sanada, the two of them taking a short moment to rest while their friends gradually walked out of their cave-dorm-thing, a long day of absurdly difficult training ahead of them.

"Good morning, Kaidoh. Diligent as always, I see." Sanada's tone is friendly despite how curt he is, a smile on his (admittedly incredibly handsome) face as he hands Kaidoh a bucket of water.

"Thanks." Kaidoh drinks enthusiastically, knowing this might be the only thing going down his throat for the whole day.

"I have to admit that having a training partner has been really motivating. I wish my teammates had your kind of dedication and discipline." Kaidoh tries to keep his face straight as Sanada compliments him, shock and flattery alike making his heart beat a little faster.

Well, that could also have something to do with the way Sanada accents his words by patting Kaidoh's shoulder with his (very big and calloused but warm) hand.

"Kirihara, especially... That fool doesn't even wake up for morning practice, let alone a run at dawn. Niou and Marui always come up with bad excuses, Reiji and Yagyuu pretend to have important duties," Kaidoh can't help but smile as he listens to Sanada complain, having gotten to know his teammates a bit better in the past few months. 

"Jackal would rather lift weights in a superficial gym, and Yukimura..." Sanada goes quiet then, frowning a little, and Kaidoh wishes he had even half of Momoshiro's social skills for a second. (Just one tiny second. He didn't envy Momoshiro at all, no way.)

"Any idea what the coach will make us do today?" Kaidoh opts for a quick change of subject, an easier technique he learnt from Echizen.

"Something crazy that I can't wait to try." Sanada's frown disappears as quickly as it came, a confident smile covering his face instead, and Kaidoh can't help but smile and nod in agreement.

Kintaro and Shishido shout at them to hurry on over before the coach gets to them instead and Sanada quickly stands up, offering his hand to help Kaidoh back up.

(The scabs and scratches and callouses in their palms meet and yeah, his hands really are big and warm and his smile is kind and Kaidoh is glad that him and the rest of the Losers subconsciously let this man lead them.)


	3. november 2008; yanagi (feat. inui)

Kaidoh had gotten to know Yanagi better over the weeks following the national tournament, Rikkai's strategist frequently visiting Inui at the hospital, where Kaidoh always was, rarely leaving his upperclassman's side, guilt and worry alike.

Later on, the the two of them would always invite Kaidoh to tag along whenever they would go out for dinner. He did so once, the seventh time they invited him, but didn't understand anything they talked about, whether it was smart things or childhood memories.

But ever since they had arrived at the U-17 camp, Inui had been spending all of his time with Yanagi. They practiced together, ate together, bathed together, and now they even shared a room (not that Kaidoh envied them for having Mizuki as a roommate).

It's almost comical, and Kaidoh isn't exactly jealous. Seeing his doubles partner reconnect with his childhood friend made him nothing short of happy.

But Kaidoh thinks about Inui a lot. He thinks about Inui looking at nothing but him for entire evenings while he trained. He thinks about spending hours just listening to Inui's deep (and rough and attractive) voice. He thinks about Inui's encouraging (and warm and comforting and strong) touches.

Kaidoh misses Inui. Maybe.

He's sitting with Zaizen and Yuuji while his court's team go up against high schoolers who challenged them to a shuffle match, the older players still bitter about the Black Jersey's triumphant return to camp.

It's been a long time since he last saw Inui playing a singles match, and his eyes are glued to the game, ignoring the knowing giggles coming from the two Shitenhoji players sitting besides him.

Kaidoh doesn't even hear when Yanagi approaches him, only turning to stare at him when he feels the brush of someone's shoulder against his own.

"Sadaharu has truly improved, has he not?" Yanagi doesn't look at Kaidoh as he speaks (obviously, because his eyes are always closed, you know), instead focusing on the match. Kaidoh stares at him for a moment, long lashes and defined jaw and sculpted nose, before turning back to the game as well, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

"You should know that he misses spending time with you." Kaidoh almost visibly jumps at Yanagi's words, turning to stare at him incredulously while doing his best to control the warmth rising up his cheeks (he fails, and Zaizen and Yuuji are now turned towards them, eavesdropping on the conversation with devious smiles).

"Why tell me this?" Kaidoh stutters out in his roughest yet still polite voice, his eyes shifting between the court and the Rikkai player.

"Because I always catch the two of you staring at each other. So does everyone else, I believe." Zaizen and Yuuji nod their heads repeatedly and Kaidoh even catches Sanada nodding solemnly while he sits on the bench in front of them. Even Sanada!?

"I once asked him why he doesn't go see you more frequently," Yanagi continues, still watching the game, "and all he told me was that you seemed happy with all of your new friends."

Kaidoh had told himself the same thing, that Inui seemed so much happier now, that he didn't want to intrude.

He considers wrapping his bandana around his whole face and running tf away, Zaizen now snorting loudly while Yuuji makes _awww_ sounds. At least Echizen and Momoshiro aren't nearby to witness this, the two of them sitting in the front row, acting as Inui's own personal cheering squad instead.

It's a close match, the high schoolers still on a whole other level despite the excruciating days of training the Black Jerseys went through, but Inui still wins. Of course he does.

Kintaro, Kenya and Momoshiro jump off the front bench to go cheer around Inui, Echizen following them with a proud smile, high-fiving his upperclassman while Kintaro jumps on his back.

"Thanks." Kaidoh mumbles and Yanagi smiles at him, leaving an encouraging pat on his thigh before standing up to go join the rest of Rikkai's Black Jerseys on the other bench.

Kaidoh waits until his teammates and Shitenhoji's overly excited members get seated for the next match before walking towards Inui, hoping that hiding his hands in his pockets could somehow hide his bashfulness.

"Good game." Kaidoh pretty much groans the compliment, but Inui meets it with a smile anyways. "Want to practice together after dinner?"

"I'd like that." Inui's smile is so wide that it looks almost goofy on him, but like, a good goofy that makes Kaidoh smile in turn (and ignore the approving smiles and thumbs up their court's members are offering them instead of focusing on the doubles match that was about to begin).


	4. november 2008; jackal

Kaidoh stuffs some of the meat on the plate into his pockets while the argument between Momoshiro and Kirihara heats up around the table, sneaking past a snickering Echizen who was trying to explain the inane reason of the fight to Krauser.

The high school students had stopped glaring at him whenever he walked through the camp's main building's lobby on his own by now, assuming Kaidoh was on his way to train by the stream.

Sure, that's what he was planning for later, unless Echizen and Momoshiro intended on dragging him to the hot springs again. But first...

Kaidoh instinctively crouches behind a bush when he gets to a clearing in the forest behind the dorms, startled over hearing someone's voice in a place he thought was only frequented by the area's stray cats.

He's surprised to see Jackal when he sneaks a peek through the leaves, his fellow Black Jersey member kneeling in the grass and mumbling towards a shrub.

Kaidoh thinks of going back to camp and pretend he never saw Jackal here for a split second, but seeing him so intent on attracting a cat makes him feel both pity and kinship with the Rikkai player.

He doesn't say a word as he approaches the third year, simply patting his shoulder and offering him a piece of the meat he had sneaked out of the cafeteria.

Jackal jumps in surprise but seems eager to accept the bait, holding it out and clicking his tongue towards the bush.

A disheveled tabby crawls out of the leaves, ears flickering as they stare at Jackal's hands, hesitantly walking up to him and licking the freshly cooked meat he was holding.

Kaidoh would usually be too distracted by the cute nose and content eyes of the cat to pay attention to anything else, but the smile that spreads across Jackal's face is the brightest he had seen coming from him since the dorm room arrangements had been announced, and Kaidoh finds himself somewhat distracted by it.

He's brought back to the moment by the gentle prodding of a black cat's nose against his pockets, and another feline friend pressing against his leg with a soft purr. The corners of his mouth form a smile and he gladly feeds the new visitors, Jackal enthusiastically petting the tabby next to him. "I had no idea there were so many cats around camp. They seem to like you." 

Kaidoh nods, slightly embarrassed by Jackal's comment. He hands more food to the third year, allowing him to feed the fourth cat who had walked up to them. Jackal's face lights up again, his demeanor much calmer than what Kaidoh had gotten used to seeing from him on the courts.

He understands him then, the gentle purring and soft fur under his palms always a sure way to forget the tension and stress around the camp.

Kaidoh doesn't think much of it when Jackal leans his shoulder against him in an attempt to pet the other cats, but a smile creeps up his lips anyways.


	5. december 2008; yagyuu

Bleeding knees and elbows had always been a common occurrence for Kaidoh, even more so since he had arrived at the camp, where a single day couldn't pass by without new bruises and scabs covering him.

It didn't really hurt by now, and he could nurse himself just fine, yet he doesn't find it in himself to push Yagyuu away when he jogs up to him, catching up on the distance Kaidoh had managed to gain on him during their evening run together.

"Are you alright?" Yagyuu's warm voice shows nothing but concern, none of the mockery Kaidoh had gotten so used to around the camp.

"It's nothing." Kaidoh ignores the warmth of the blood dripping down his arm as he stands up, ready to get back to running before Niou and Momoshiro catch up to them (or before Kenya passes them by for a fourth time, whichever would come first).

Yagyuu's hand grabs his wrist first, clicking his tongue as he stares at Kaidoh's injured elbow. He doesn't feel any need to push Yagyuu away when the older student pulls a handkerchief out of his pockets, carefully wrapping it around Kaidoh's arm, fingers lingering on his upper arms for a bit too long.

Kaidoh was selective about who was allowed to touch him without warranting themselves a solid punch, but Yagyuu had long since made himself trustworthy in his eyes.

So he doesn't flinch when Yagyuu moves his hands down his arm a bit too slowly, fingers lingering for a longer time where scabs marked recent injuries.

They're interrupted by their respective teammates' loud voices, Momoshiro and Niou exchanging jokes and prank scenarios while jogging at their own pace.

Yagyuu flashes a challenging smile and sprints off, Kaidoh following him close behind.

 

* * *

 

Kaidoh waits until his roommates fall asleep before untying the handkerchief still wrapped around his arm, knowing all too well that Kirihara would ask questions and that Zaizen would pull out his camera if he did so any earlier.

The lilac fabric smells of a familiar cologne and Kaidoh can't help but smile at memories of last summer. A lot had changed since then, a fact made all too obvious by the snoring of the members of rival teams who were sleeping just a few feet away from him.

He knows now why he stepped up to the strangers insulting Rikkai back in August, and knows he would do so again without any hesitation.


	6. december 2008; a mysterious visitor

Kaidoh doesn't question the fact that a stray cat had somehow found their way inside the camp's main building, too distracted by their gentle mewling and soft white fur.

He scratches the cat's chin, chuckling at the enthusiastic purring it earns him.

"Purr... purr... puri!"

Kaidoh ignores the unusual sound, focusing on the soft spot behind the cat's ear and mumbling some sweet words, wondering where his new feline friend came from, whether he ate enough, if he knew any of the other cats that lived near the camp.

"Purr... purr... pupina!"

Kaidoh freezes for a second, wondering if it was usual for cats to make this kind of sound, but the feline's bright blue eyes drag him right back in. He pets along the cat's back, chuckling while he watches them stretch before rolling onto their back, exposing their fluffy belly which was just begging for some scratching and petting.

"Viper? What the _hell_?" Kaidoh jumps as he hears Momoshiro's voice from behind him, turning around to see his teammate along with Hiyoshi and Kirihara staring at him with the most shocked expressions while Zaizen quickly snaps pictures.

Kaidoh turns back around to look at the cat, hoping his worse friends didn't scare them away, but there is no cat there.

There is only Niou Masaharu, Rikkai's Trickster™, staring at him with a :P while rubbing his own stomach.


	7. december 2008; kirihara

Kaidoh is ready for a fight when woken up by the ticklish feeling of someone blowing against his ear, grabbing the wrist of whoever was insistently poking his cheek.

Kirihara shrieks in surprise, but breaks into a mischievous laughter immediately after.

"What are you doing?" Kaidoh grunts, unhappy to be losing precious sleep because of his arguably most annoying roommate.

"Shhh!" Kaidoh can barely make out Kirihara's silhouette in the dark, but he easily guesses that he didn't want Hiyoshi and Zaizen to wake up. Why did he have to be the one to lose sleep, then?

Kirihara lifts the blankets and slips underneath, shamelessly pushing Kaidoh despite being the one to invade his bed.

Kaidoh sighs but doesn't do anything to push his fellow future captain away, letting Kirihara press up against him, throwing his arm over Kaidoh's chest and tangling their legs together.

Kirihara's warmth isn't unwelcome on a chilly December night, his curly hair tickling Kaidoh's cheek when he rests his head on his shoulder. It's embarrassing, and Kaidoh thanks the darkness of their room both for hiding the blush creeping up his cheeks, and, well, the entirety of the situation, really.

Kaidoh has never been one for grudges, but even he could never have guessed that just a few months after his team's emotionally and physically damaging battle against Rikkai at the national tournament, he would find himself so close to their rival team's members (both emotionally and physically, clearly).

But this is where he is now, and the same could be said about his relationship with the other teams' players as well. Just like his own teammates in Seigaku, they are both rivals and friends, people who push him to better himself and motivate him.

Embarrassing.

It's so embarrassing, but Kaidoh can't deny how happy he's been in the past year. The days where his only interactions with other people consisted of getting mocked and bullied and feared feel so distant now.

He's brought back to the moment when Kirihara kicks his legs around and presses closer, humming and content.

"If you don't move by the time Zaizen wakes up, we're both dead." Kaidoh grumbles but brushes his feet against Kirihara's leg anyways, making his roommate cackle before feeling him nuzzle his neck.


	8. february 2009; marui

Kaidoh would sit with Hiyoshi and the rest of Hyotei every other dinner at the camp, meaning Marui was also there, because Marui was always with his roommates and Ootori if he wasn't with Kite. (Kaidoh only noticed this because it was all Jackal ever talked about whenever he visited room 203 to spend time with Momoshiro and Yagyuu.)

Anyways. The point is that Kaidoh often watched Marui eat. Not in a creepy way. It's just that it's hard to ignore the smell of vanilla and hazelnut and chocolate syrup when you're trying to enjoy a good ole steak.

And Kaidoh cares about food. A Lot. He also cares about his friends and his rivals and what they eat. Sure, most of his friends were lost causes whose diets consisted of nothing but fast food, but at least there was a bread bun and a piece of meat and a salad leaf and a slice of cheese in a burger.

But the most he'd seen Marui eat was a piece of melon decorating a sundae despite the variety of food the camp offered them. Terrible.

 

* * *

 

Kaidoh is in his house's kitchen preparing his own lunch when he remembers Marui's unhealthy eating habits (his mom had just scolded Hazue for asking if his lunchbox could consist of nothing but his leftover birthday cake).

He stares at the leftover rice and fried pork as he finishes filling his box. Winter was coming to an end and Oishi had came up with the idea of inviting Rikkai to their school so their teams could have one last friendly(?) match before graduating.

It wouldn't be the same without Echizen, Tezuka and Sanada around, but Yukimura had still gladly accepted the invitation (and is really excited to play against Fuji, according to Kirihara's overly enthusiastic text messages).

Kaidoh had to admit that he was also looking forward to playing against Marui and Jackal again.

He prepares a second lunch box, thankful that his mother is too focused on doing the dishes to ask any questions.

 

* * *

 

Every single kid from the tennis club had gathered on a Sunday despite the chilly February air, huddling up for the chance to watch their upperclassmen play against Rikkai for one last time before graduating.

Kaidoh had seen Kirihara a few times since their return to a normal(?) life in Japan, but the older members of Rikkai's tennis team had been too busy with their finals and high school preparations, so Kaidoh doesn't worry about how silly his smile might seem when they arrive.

Jackal and Yanagi shake his hand before Yagyuu sneaks up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist while Marui, Niou and Kirihara poke his cheeks and stomach, clearly demonstrating a death wish (Kaidoh can't grant it because Yukimura waves at him with a devious smile).

The other members of Seigaku are similarly greeted, and you could hardly tell that these were the same teams that had faced each other at both the regional and the national tournament's finals just a few months ago.

Apparently their shared near-death experiences during their time at the U-17 camp and tournament had allowed them to completely forget their mutually murderous ways. Or maybe watching Atobe get shoved off a cliff made them realize that sending each other to the hospital was nbd. Anyways.

 

* * *

 

They take a break after Niou and Momoshiro's singles match but before Golden Pair's game against Yanagi and Kirihara. The afternoon sun and excitement had warmed the area up, so Oishi convinces everyone to eat lunch outside. (Fuji offers to show Yukimura the school's garden, and the two of them aren't sighted until an hour later. Suspicious...)

Kaidoh smiles when he sees Inui and Yanagi already sitting together under a tree, drinking juice while looking through Inui's notebook. He gladly gives them space, instead sitting next to Yagyuu, who's currently overly dramatically reciting his plans for the future while Kikumaru, Marui and Kirihara only half listen to him. Actually they're probably only a quarter listening to him.

As Kaidoh expected, Marui is enthusiastically licking away at a lollipop, and the only other things he seemed to be carrying were jelly beans and pastries. Unbelievable...

Kaidoh pulls out his own lunch box, carefully preparing his meal before handing the second box he had prepared to Marui.

"What's this?" Marui's voice is playful and Yagyuu stops mid-speech to stare.

"For you. Please eat it." Kaidoh is polite but bashfulness makes his voice lower than usual.

"Whaaat? Where's mine!?" Kirihara whines, and Kikumaru joins in. "I want some of Kaidoh's food too!"

Yagyuu laughs heartily and Marui grabs the box after what feels like a century of embarrassment.

"Thanks, Kaidoh." Marui winks and opens the box, sticking his piece of candy in Kirihara's face when his underclassman continues begging for food.

They don't say much to each other until Marui finishes his meal, but Kaidoh is more than content just watching him eat a healthier meal.

Even if Marui probably only did it to annoy Kirihara.


	9. june 2009; yukimura

By now, no one could guess whether the frequent practice matches between Seigaku, Fudomine, Hyotei and Rikkai's tennis teams were a genuine effort to maximize their respective team's strengths, or a poor excuse for their captains and the other third years to see each other (because being a bit older doesn't make Kaidoh, Shinji and Hiyoshi any more socially proactive, and roundabout excuses are so much better than actually listening to Momoshiro, Kamio or Kirihara).

It's one of those days again, Kaidoh's Seigaku warming up on Rikkai's tennis courts, Arai and Kirihara loudly arguing over where to take their teams out for dinner afterwards, Horio and The Ice Cream Kid already checking up on everyone's equipment.

Kaidoh is helping Katsuo stretch when Momoshiro comes up to him, slapping his back before nodding towards the benches outside the court, a big smile on his face.

Inui, Yanagi and Yukimura are sitting there, talking casually until Kirihara shouts real happily at them, almost ready to jump over the fence to hug them. (Well, Kaidoh understands. Going from seeing his former teammates every single day to only a few times a month hasn't been easy).

Rikkai's new vice-captain shouts at Kirihara to "Get back over here you idiot, the game is about to start!", and Kirihara waves at the high school students with a pout before joining the rest of his team.

Kaidoh tells his own boys to gather after smiling and nodding towards Inui and the others, and the practice matches begin.

Kaidoh plays a doubles match with Kachiro at his side, his underclassman's play style having evolved into something similar to Inui's own, making them a great team. It leaves Momoshiro with the singles 1 match, Kirihara and him getting a bit too intense for a simple Saturday afternoon practice game.

The sun is already setting by the time their match ends, and both teams start complaining about how hungry they are, Kaidoh rolling his eyes as his boys enthusiastically follow Kirihara, Arai and Momoshiro and their promise of burgers. He figures he'll just have to make them run more laps tomorrow. Yukimura and Yanagi are obviously dragged along by Rikkai's new captain, so Kaidoh goes meet with Inui to invite him as well.

 

* * *

 

Kaidoh sits with the high schoolers at the restaurant, hoping for a second of rest as his overly excited and fast food loving (no thanks to his vice-captain for indoctrinating them) boys fill up every table in the restaurant. It doesn't go exactly as planned, Momoshiro and Kirihara squeezing themselves on benches made for two until Kaidoh finds himself stuck between the wall and Inui, Yukimura laughing in front of him despite being similarly compromised.

His fellow third years pester Inui and the others with countless questions regarding high school, the matches they had just witnessed, the whereabouts of their other former teammates.

Kaidoh listens attentively, especially interested in Sanada's oversea adventures and hearing about how Yagyuu took over their school's student council despite only being in his first year.

Yukimura's feet bump into his every now and then, but Kaidoh figures the former captain is probably just trying to find a comfortable position while squeezed between Yanagi and the wall.

(He also tries his best to avoid looking at Yukimura for too long, the high schooler's traits even sharper now, his wavy hair long enough to rest over his shoulder in a loose ponytail, his smile still nothing short of threatening.)

"How do you like being captain, Kaidoh?" Yukimura's voice stops his train of thought, and Kaidoh stares at him before answering, feeling like he needs to choose his words carefully else something terrible might befall him.

"It's the same as training by myself, except now I have to make sure dozens of kids can keep up with me." Yukimura hums in response, resting his chin in his hand, his foot brushing against Kaidoh's calf as he crosses his legs.

"He's doing a great job. Tezuka would have been impressed if he had been here today." Inui smiles and Kaidoh blushes at his words, thankful Momoshiro and Kirihara were too busy arguing on whether or not dipping fries in their milkshakes was disgusting to see him like this.

"I hope he can travel to Japan this summer and see you play at the Nationals. I know Genichiro intends on taking some time off for this." Yanagi says and it makes Kirihara freak tf out, Rikkai's captain jumping in his seat, Yukimura laughing in a slightly murderous way while getting squeezed further.

They talk like this for hours, catching up on recent events, remembering the past year, joking about their friends. Yukimura gives Kaidoh some advice on leadership, thanks him for spending time with Kirihara, and even asks him about Echizen.

Kaidoh isn't as cautious towards Yukimura by the end of the evening, talking with him more freely, meeting his frigid blue eyes with his own. He's still way too worried for his own safety to dare return any of Yukimura's now obviously intentional footsies, however.

It's only when Horio screams about how they're going to miss the last bus home that both teams leave the restaurant, Momoshiro and Arai taking turns to mess with Kirihara's hair before Kaidoh gives him a conservative fist bump, promising each other one more match before the regional tournament.

"Take care, Kaidoh." Yukimura leaves Kaidoh with a firm handshake, both of his (soft and elegant and thin) hands covering his own. "I look forward to seeing your team at the tournament."

Kaidoh nods, hoping the night is enough to hide his flushed face.

"All of my former teammates plan on going to see the Nationals. And we won't only be going to watch Kirihara and the rest of Rikkai." And with that, Yukimura winks before walking away with Yanagi.

Kaidoh really doesn't regret beating the sh*t out of the people who were badmouthing Rikkai a whole year ago.


End file.
